I'm taking Theology III this semester, and we're starting off in the subject of pneumatology, which is a just a fancy Greekish word for the study of the Holy Spirit. It's a great class, and God is teaching me a lot - but here's there's a problem - a problem that's infecting our schools, our local churches, and the Kingdom of God at large...
Righteous Arrogance
In Theology III, I'm learning who the Holy Spirit is and what God's Word reveals to us about His characteristics, his will, and his work in our lives. I know that the Holy Spirit is God because of Acts 5:3-4. I know that he was involved in creation from Genesis 1:2. I know that he was involved in the inspiration of God's Word from II Peter 1:21. These things are great, and I'm glad that God's Word can feed me information and knowledge. So what about Righteous Arrogance?
Righteous Arrogance is an attitude displayed by Christians (especially Bible college students like me) that gives us a superiority complex based on our particular theology, denomination, or interpretation of all that information and knowledge. And the worst thing is that it's become ACCEPTABLE in our "Christian" circles.
Righteous Arrogance usually comes out in situations like these:
1) Disrespectful denomination bashing
2) Theology contests (debating to win)
3) Making the unsaved fit my righteous standards
4) Thanking God I'm not as bad as other people
5) Slamming other local churches that aren't like mine
My roommate and I stayed up pretty late last night talking about this stuff - how theology in and of itself is not bad, but dangerous. How can I say that? Because of Righteous Arrogance. Why am I so dogmatic about it?
Because I have it.
Theology needs to make its way from my head to my heart. If it just stays in in my head, it becomes Righteous Arrogance. If I've learned a big word like pneumatology, that's all I've learned. If I believe that the Holy Spirit is God, that's a starting point to learn more and more about my great God.
NONE OF IT MAKES ME BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE.
Christians, let's wake up and see reality.
It's gotta start in our mirrors.
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7 comments:
Finally!!!
Dan, I'm so happy that you (among FEW guys on this campus) are grasping a hold of this truth. It's too funny that you write this post right now because my grandpa was just helping me through some these things due to some of my frustration with what I've seen on campus. He is a brilliant man and my hero- I go to him with everything. Right now he serves as a Hospice chaplain, and has done everything under the sun as far as ministry goes before that. He has some great things to say. He struggled with "righteous arrogance" through college and seminary too. We all do! Knowledge puffs up. I'll send you the attachment for it. You'll do well to read through it! Pass it on if you'd like.
Good stuff Dan. Thanks. :)
-mj
Wow...great reminder Dan. Can hardly wait to start getting some of that BBC teaching. Blessings...
Dan,
Thanks for your challenging observations. You are on the money. We also have to be aware of the tendency to swing to the other side of the pendulum and forget that if we don't get the theology right, then our heart can't be right. If two people disagree on something regarding truth, then there are two options: one of them is wrong or both are wrong. We must still be willing to stand for the truth that we see in the Scriptures. Our motivation should always be to learn more in order for the Holy Spirit to change us to be more like Christ which in turn should better equip us to minister to others by loving them and challenging them with God's Truth. Keep learning and thinking. Oh, just remember that God wrote the New Testament in Greekish. :-)
Your friend and brother,
Shane
Dan ... way to go ... nicely put ... i am soo glad that at least one person (guys wise) is grasping the truth on this very real situation that is going on right here on our very campus ... thanks for writing this !!
Sweet truths, man! Genuine study of God should always lead us to humility!
Yep. We are a bunch of arrogant people. There's a cross between "the world can go to hell, because we're gonna be kickin' it with Jesus" and "we have higher knowledge; therefore... you can all go to hell". No need to say where those attitudes come from.
It is very difficult for us to simply let the Scriptures speak and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us about God, our relationship with him, and our relationships with everyone else. We let our arrogance taint our thoughts in an effort to be "right". Who cares about whether our position is "right" in comparison with someone else's position? We should be concerned about being right before God, especially when the Word presents us with a teaching that contradicts everything we have known. There is nothing wrong and everything right about God shaking our world, reorganizing our presuppositions, and restructuring our paradigms.
I think we're just too proud - or too chicken - to let God speak and to obey His commands.
Awesome what God is doing in your heart, Dan.
Hope to see you next time you're home!
Mrs.K
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